1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to device syncing, and more particularly to providing or synchronizing an input user interface on a client device that is associated with an active input user interface on a server device.
2. Introduction
As technology advances digital media content servers are becoming cheaper and more accessible, thereby increasing their popularity with consumers. These digital media content servers may be connected to a display such as a television, projector, or computer monitor and connected to a local network. The digital media content servers may also connect to outside networks such as the Internet allowing a user to access online websites, online digital content stores, and other online applications. Furthermore, the digital media content server may be connected to a home audio amplification system. The digital media content server may connect to other electronic devices as well.
Digital media content servers typically store digital media files, such as music files, videos, pictures, and documents. A user, for example, can play a video file of a television show stored on the server and view the television show on a connected display. The content server may similarly play movie files. The server may also play a digital music file through a connected audio amplification system or through the display's audio amplification system. Digital files can be stored on an internal or external storage device (such as a hard drive or solid-state drive) connected to the digital file server, while in other cases the digital files are stored on an outside client device and streamed to the server over a network. In this latter context, the files can be streamed from the Internet or from a local networked client device. For example, a user can stream a remotely-stored .mp3 file over a broadband Internet connection to the server and then to a connected audio system. In another example, a user can stream an .mp3 file stored on a user's laptop over the home network to the server to play on a connected audio system. Other digital files such as movies, documents, pictures, games, and applications may be streamed in a similar manner.
The digital file content server may present to the user an input user interface. For example, a user may wish to type in a string of characters for search for a particular artist within the stored music library. Additionally, a user may wish to input a string of characters to search for a song name, album title, or any other metadata associated with the digital file within the locally stored library. A user can also enter text to modify song titles, metadata, playlist titles, etc. This interaction may be achieved via a remote control that enables a user to navigate through the interface to select characters to input.
Additionally, digital file content server may enter an input user interface based on a request for a password. For example, a user may wish to type in a string of characters to log into a user's online profile for a given application or to access content protected by parental controls.
Typically a user could input this data with the use of a remote control. However, these remote controls usually have limited user interfaces that require multiple steps for the entry of each character of an active input user interface. For example, a remote control with directional arrows can be used to navigate an on-screen character grid to select characters step by step. Requiring multiple steps for each character input increases the time needed to input the chosen character string into an active input user interface, as compared to methods that only require one step per character.
Accordingly, what is needed in the art is an improved way to input characters into a user interface on a server device.